After Deux Ex Machina
by AJ Taylir
Summary: After finally discovering Jet's origins, the four drifters' minds are encompassed by the discovery.
1. Jet's thoughts

(A/N: a long time ago, in a fanfiction.net review I remember so well, Hypes suggested I compile all the WA3 'thoughts' fics into one. Now, I decided to do that. if you've read 'em all before, there's nothing different, but if you haven't, enjoy!)  
  
After deux ex machina and rescuing Shane, we camp before tackling demondor pillar. Everyone but me is asleep. Even lombardia is breathing evenly and calmly, if not loudly. But then, something that big is sure not to be quiet.  
  
The campfire looks sleepy, too, burning low and ruby-red. I lean against a rock, pull my knees up closer, and rest an elbow on one. I frown, sigh, and rest my head forward on my half-closed fist. I stare hard at my other hand.  
  
The initial shock at discovering my origins had been buried by necessity, being less important at the time than Siegfried, the air battle with lombardia, and Shane's disappearance. But now, in the brief calm before the next battle, the confusing and shattering truth comes flooding back.  
  
I'm often a drifter of few words, even my personal thoughts were short and to the point. But recently, I've been keeping a lot to myself. My words have been brief as always, but my thoughts, my thoughts seem endless.  
  
Jet enduro isn't even my name. I was made as a copy of the real jet enduro.  
  
I'm some sample project. In a sense, my creation was so linked to what we're fighting now, it makes me sick.  
  
To think that those damn prophets had a hand in making me who I am, it makes me wonder why I never ended up on their side.  
  
Then, I remember. Virginia's father. He took me from Yggdrasil and raised me, taught me how to use my airget-lamh and fend for myself in Filgaia. In a way, I'm really related to this world. I never quite thought of it this way before, but I'm a lot like Filgaia. We both live messed-up lives thanks to the council of seven.  
  
I never gave anything much thought before I met them.  
  
Virginia, gallows, Clive, they're okay people, as much as I hate to openly admit it. Virginia's a little naive and a bit delusional at times, but she means well.  
  
Gallows, well, what can I say? He's gallows. He has his own strange way of lightening an otherwise hopeless, dismal situation.  
  
And Clive, sometimes I wonder why he tagged along. If he gets himself killed one day, then we all have to break the news to Catherine and kaitlyn. I know gallows has Halle and Shane, and Virginia has her aunt and uncle, but they don't have a little kid.  
  
I used to wonder exactly why I stuck with them; I thought they were all crazy, overly sentimental, and completely incompatible with me. But after we stuck it out together a few times, I got used to it. And now...  
  
We're all strangely connected by our pasts, and here we are weaving our futures together. Now look, here I am thinking like Clive. Sometimes I think his attitude kinda rubs off on me, almost like a father to a son.  
  
I feel kind of disappointed. I half-hoped that I would find out my past, discover that I was some lost son of some surviving drifter, then tag along with my old man and have somebody to depend on in the endless wasteland. But it wasn't meant to be. The only thing even close to my parents is the council of seven. Which is a little okay, I guess, Werner Maxwell isn't such a bad guy, but the prophets, ugh, I can't stand that.  
  
And so, my solitary life has gone on up until that day on the train. It feels like it's been years, but it's actually only been a few months.  
  
Something makes a grunting noise. I snap out of my thoughts. In the dim firelight, I can see Virginia roll over, and gallows, too. Virginia mutters something I can't make out, and God, gallows begins to snore. That's the kind of noise that goes on for miles.  
  
It hits me: my fantasy of finding my father, I found it with these guys. I tagged along with drifters, and I've always been able to depend on them.  
  
Another thing I don't like to admit, they've saved my butt lots of times, and I've saved theirs, too. It's hard for me to believe, after about ten years of living alone, but I really have somebody I can count on. This is as close to family as I'm gonna get.  
  
Even if I'm not really jet enduro, if all I am is the Filgaia sample, some theory project of that council, I'll take what that gave me and stop whoever's responsible with it.  
  
I took aim with my airget-lamh against Janus, but he was a puppet, the prophets, but they were more delusional than Virginia, and Siegfried, but he's not an issue now. There's still trouble on the horizon, apparently deeper-rooted than we all thought.  
  
But regardless of everything, our enemy, my origins, or any other damn obstacle that tries to push us back, I'll draw ARMS with my friends against any who get in the way.  
  
Yes, friends. I realize that now, even thought I tried to convince myself otherwise for so long.  
  
As a team, we're too strong together to be stopped now. 


	2. Virginia's thoughts

(A/N: 'jet's thoughts' was originally written as a truly solitary piece, but I decided to write stuff for the others, too.)  
  
I'm trying to sleep, but it's just not working. I've got too much to think about. The shock on jet's face when he was told what he truly was... it was pain, shock, denial, hate, all these things and more rolled into one.  
  
Poor guy. He's lived his life alone, with no idea what he was, now, after tagging along with us, he finally found out.  
  
I wonder if he ever wanted to know. He seemed so determined not to care, but maybe that was a cover-up for his own feelings.  
  
But now, he knows, and there's no changing it. I want to confront him, tell him we're here for him, that I'm here for him, but I just know he'll push me away like he always does. He pushes everyone away. But, when I saw that look on his face, it opened the only vulnerable gap I ever saw in him.  
  
Perhaps, perhaps now he'll let me past his defenses. I sigh just as gallows grunts. I roll over and murmur. "If only you didn't push us all away."  
  
My eyes have been shut this whole time, in the hopes that I'll fall asleep. I hope jet isn't awake; my big mouth could cause some confusion I'd rather not contend with. At least it was quiet, maybe he couldn't understand it if he heard me.  
  
Gallows starts snoring. And lucky me, I get to sleep in proximity to him. Ugh. It's a strange benefit, though; it keeps the local creatures from ambushing us in our sleep.  
  
I just know jet's gonna sulk until we get him into a battle, then all his outer troubles drop away, revealing a strong, capable....  
  
My thoughts drift as I run out of words. Maybe I'm falling asleep. No such luck. Right now, gallows is ripping off the longest, loudest snore I've heard yet. If I was anywhere near asleep, I'm not now.  
  
I hope jet remembers we're all here for him; I don't want him to shut himself away even more than he already has. Sure, he's opened up over time, but he's always quick to close.  
  
Oh, I feel sleep coming onto me... could this finally be it? Will I actually get some rest? Another loud snore from gallows denies me that satisfaction. Learn to stay in one position when you sleep, why don't you, gallows? I think only Clive sleeps deep enough to remain undisturbed.  
  
I peek one eye open slightly. The campfire is low, and sitting up against a rock is jet. He looks like he's really thinking hard about something. I hope he's not planning on leaving, like he tried to before. No, I can make out a little of his face in the shadows, it's an echo of the face I saw before. He's thinking about what leehalt said, I know it.  
  
jet, don't let him get to you, he's not even in our way anymore. You're not alone, we all want a piece of who's responsible. Don't isolate yourself.  
  
Without you, we wouldn't be what we are, or where we are now. 


	3. Gallows' dream

Gallows is asleep, unperturbed by his own highly audible snoring, or by the silent focused musings of jet and Virginia. He may not be thinking about it, but he is dreaming about it.  
  
It starts with leehalt. It starts with him telling jet what he is. The look on the punk's face is almost killing. His whole, fragile world he built for himself is coming crashing down. I see Shane, possessed by that dream-demon, whatsherface... Beatrice. Despair overwhelms me as I watch my little brother almost kill himself. And then, as if disciplining me for my compassions, I get whacked by granny's stick. My dream is a jumble of pains.  
  
We face Janus, the prophets, Siegfried, all in a matter of seconds, and not one encounter is positive in the least. Every one is dire. Why? Why am I having this bad dream? I remember losing to Janus with that blade he got from the eternal sparkle. He had Virginia at its point, and the poor kid was scared to death. Then he showed some kind of mocking compassion by letting her live. What the heck?  
  
I feel the guardians tremble at the presence of our enemy. Even i, the defiant son of Baskar, hold the guardians in some regard. I'm not stupid, I know moor gault could roast me or zephyr could easily crush me if they wanted to.  
  
My dream gets weirder. We face Beatrice, but she won't show herself. She's used her freak abilities from Hyades to resurrect all of our past enemies, even Siegfried. The prophets are normal, well, as normal as is for them, Janus is a demon, and Siegfried, he's wearing a pink bunny costume. I pictured him that way once just for kicks, don't ask.  
  
They're all juiced up by Beatrice's powers, and our ARMs feel like lead weights in our hands. All our force abilities are drained, we couldn't even lend significant power to the guardians if we tried. Our ARMs are in need of loading, and all looks lost. Werner's in the shadows, trying to do something, but whatever it is, it's not working.  
  
I begin to wonder if Beatrice is messing with my head. But why would she include the bunny costume? No, this dream is all the fears and anxieties I bottle up.  
  
Finally, I see jet. Nothing else, just jet. Am I afraid of jet? No. what's up? He has a look on his face like when my dream started. Suddenly, he starts shaking, as if he's getting zapped. He crumples to the ground, but doesn't kick himself up. Virginia runs to help him, but nothing works. He's not dead, but nothing helps, as if he doesn't want to live. Then, he quits. He's left... he left us... the punk... how could he do that... to everyone... to Virginia...  
  
My consciousness surfaces a little, I know it's a dream. What the heck? Schturdark, free in my subconscious, assures me that Beatrice has had nothing to do with my chaotic dream.  
  
That punk better not give up like that, but then, I've never known him to. To spite everything, he'll keep pushing. 


	4. Clive's dream

I drift easily to sleep, thankfully before gallows begins to snore. I feel sorry for jet and Virginia, though. They'll have to contend with it. I have a comfortable dream. I begin to hope it comes true.  
  
We come triumphantly home from defeating Beatrice. Filgaia is sweet and green. We report to Halle in Baskar colony, and for the first time I think ever, she kisses gallows instead of whacking or berating him. After a great deal of fuss, we take lombardia to boot hill.  
  
Virginia's family and neighbors celebrate victory and her arrival back home, smothering her with attention. After that, we fly to Humphrey's peak.  
  
Catherine and kaitlyn are waiting for me. I present my eager daughter with the last adventure book, and hold her tight.  
  
"I promise no more bad things will make me leave you." I say to her.  
  
I then embrace my wife, and we both laugh and cry at the same time.  
  
"Where to now, leader?" gallows asks Virginia, clearly out of habit.  
  
"Our adventure is over, but aren't we missing something?" Virginia realizes.  
  
I look around. Something is missing.  
  
I realize what it is: We haven't gone to jet's home and family to celebrate. Something else hits me: He doesn't have one. And another realization: jet is missing.  
  
We take lombardia and search Filgaia for him. He doesn't seem to be anywhere. As a last resort, we check the secret garden. To our relief, he's there, talking to florina.  
  
"Jet! Why did you go?" I ask him.  
  
He looks up at me. He seems depressed.  
  
"I really don't belong." He says. "You're all celebrating at home with your families, but I don't have either."  
  
"But you do." I object. "Your home is Filgaia. Your family is with us."  
  
He doesn't seem to hear me. He laces up his radical sneakers and jumps a fence.  
  
"Jet! Wait!" I call out, but to no avail.  
  
"Florina, what were you talking about with him?" I ask.  
  
She smiles like she always does.  
  
"He came here feeling really bad. I gave him some flowers and told him he had a home, a family, because he saved Filgaia. He saved the flowers, he saved everybody. He said he was a reject, he didn't go out to save anything, he went hoping to cash in. now he's supposed to be some kind of hero, and he doesn't really belong. That's when you came."  
  
My head aches as I try to think of where he would go next, and what to do if we find him.  
  
Actually, I think my head is aching due to gallows' snoring, even though I can't hear it in my current state of mind.  
  
You're one of us, jet, you're no reject. Don't ever forget that. 


End file.
